Subject: Millennium March Set to Unveil MMOW Platform Issues
From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1999 14:04:04 EST

Millennium March on Washington for Equality
April 30, 2000  .  Washington, DC

N E W S   R E L E A S E
For Immediate Release: Dec. 3, 1999

Millennium March on Washington Organizers
to Announce MMOW Platform Issues
More than 40,000 Participate in MMOW Platform Balloting Process

Washington, DC -- Organizers of Millennium March on Washington (MMOW) will 
ratify and announce the Platform of the fourth national march for gay, 
lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights during organizational meetings 
in Washington, DC on Dec. 5 and 6, 1999.

"The platform balloting process has been one of the most exciting features of 
the upcoming Millennium March," said Malcolm Lazin, co-executive director of 
the event. "For the first time in the history of GLBT organizing, our 
community, along with our friends, families and allies, has had the 
opportunity to vote directly on the issues of the platform of a national 
civil rights march."

Several hundred thousand platform ballots were distributed through community 
centers, bars, clubs, magazines and newspapers, and handed out by local 
organizers across the country over a six month period to encourage broad 
community participation. Official ballots were featured in The Advocate, Curve
, and Our World, along with state and regional GLBT publications. Voting was 
conducted by mail, fax, or e-mail, and ballots could also be turned into MMOW 
organizers in local communities.

"As a statewide organizer, I'm a strong believer in listening to the wisdom 
of grassroots activists," said Dianne Hardy-Garcia, co-executive director of M
MOW and executive director of the Lesbian and Gay Lobby of Texas, one of the 
nation's largest state GLBT groups. "For more than a year we listened to the 
thousands of incoming messages to March headquarters and from those 
grassroots responses we fashioned a platform ballot featuring the issues of 
greatest concern to our community. In a very real sense, the ballot itself 
was determined by community response and input," she added.

The official Millennium March ballot contains 13 issues: hate crimes 
legislation, obtaining the right to marry, non-discrimination in employment, 
the right to serve our country (including military service), lesbian health 
issues, AIDS/HIV issues, child custody and adoption rights, GLBT aging 
issues, immigration rights, GLBT youth issues, overturning anti-GLBT laws 
(including sodomy laws), right to privacy/choice, GLBT global issues. Voters 
could also write-in other issues for consideration.

While acknowledging that all of the proposed platform issues are of concern 
to the GLBT communities, organizers encouraged participants to vote for up to 
five top concerns in a process to determine the priorities of the community.

"The MMOW Board of Directors is committed to seeing that the issues featured 
in the March's platform and during the Rally accurately reflect the 
priorities of our diverse communities," said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, a member 
of the March's board of directors and one of four MMOW co-chairs.

"The use of new technologies allowed us to reach out to every part of the 
country," said Murray-Ramirez, "and to involve thousands and thousands of 
people who would not have been able to take time off from work and travel 
long distances to take part, as was required in the past."  

"In addition to the issues, the balloting process reveals a remarkably high 
degree of activism on the part of respondents," noted Lazin. "More than 94% 
of those taking part in the MMOW platform ballot are registered to vote, 76% 
plan to attend the March and Rally, and 72% have committed to visit their 
Congressperson as part of MMOW Lobby Days. And 4000 people have offered to 
serve as local MMOW volunteer organizers in their communities," added Lazin, 
who also serves as executive director of PrideFest America, the nation's 
largest annual GLBT symposium and festival headquartered in Philadelphia.

The MMOW Board of Directors will analyze, ratify and announce the ballot 
results during the upcoming Board Meeting in Washington, DC. The MMOW Board 
Meetings will take place from 9 AM to 5 PM on Dec. 5 and 6 at the Washington 
Plaza Hotel, Massachusetts Avenue and 14th Street, NW, in Washington, DC. 
Meetings are open to the public and include a public comment period.

The platform results will form the basis of stage presentations during the MMO
W Rally on the National Mall. The platform will also be distributed to White 
House officials, members of Congress and the national media.

The Millennium March on Washington, scheduled for April 30, 2000, is the 
fourth national GLBT civil rights march in the US and the first human rights 
march of the new millennium. A free e-mail newsletter is available upon 
request by writing [email-masked].

For more information on the March on Washington for Equality, visit the 
official website at www.mmow.org or write to [email-masked].

(END)

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR PRESS INTERVIEWS, CONTACT:

Malcolm Lazin, MMOW Co-Executive Director
Tel: 215-732-FEST
Fax: 215-732-7376
E-Mail: [email-masked]

Dianne Hardy-Garcia, MMOW Co-Executive Director
Tel:  512-474-5475
Fax:  512-474-4511
E-Mail: [email-masked]

Ann DeGroot, MMOW Board Co-Chair
Tel:  612-822-0127, Ext. 107 
Fax: 612-822-8786
E-Mail: [email-masked]

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